Joshua Kauten

Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino

Three times a week for dinner my dad makes his current favourite dish, spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino (pasta with garlic, oil and chilis). It is a sublime dish that brings comfort and positive emotions. You know he's cooking it because the house gets this warm and strong scent of garlic and you might cough at times if he’s put too many chillies. I don't remember him being so obsessed with it when we used to live in Milan so I finally asked him why he was so enamoured with it. Before answering it he gently put the fork down on his cotton napkin, swallowed the pasta, took a sip of wine while swishing it in his mouth (as if he had mouth wash) and finally swallowed it all down. He tells me it was one of his favourite dishes his mother used to cook for him when he was a kid. This dish reminded him of those warm days in Mogadiscio while coming back from school.